Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Excerpt – Snared by Saber
About Shelley
Other Books by Shelley
Copyright Page
Bonus Chapter
MY TWIN TROUBLE
Shelley Munro
Middlemarch Shifters, book 15
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Excerpt – Snared by Saber
About Shelley
Other Books by Shelley
Copyright Page
Introduction
Man wanted: confident and charismatic, a virtuoso in bed and capable of supporting a woman in her quest for freedom.
Shifter Kiera Pascoe is desperate to foil her brothers’ plan to ship her back to England. She needs help, and hunky Joe Mitchell is the perfect applicant.
Joe is missing his twin Sly, who is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. For Joe, Kiera presents a diversion. Her situation jolts him from his isolated state and the depression he has sunk in to without his twin. From the start, hunger explodes between them and sparks fly with each intoxicating touch. The sex is fun and challenging—mutual ecstasy with a little spanking and kink.
Sly arrives home unexpectedly, creating chaos with their erotic hijinks. Emotions tangle and create a dilemma for all three. Joe has feelings for Kiera and wants to keep her. Kiera worries about exchanging one set of pushy males for another while Sly lusts after his twin’s lover. Two sexy shifter twins and one gorgeous feline woman—they’ve got trouble in Middlemarch and it’s gonna take time to unravel the steamy muddle.
Chapter One
“Someone purchased the garage in town.”
The mischief in his twin brother snared Sly Mitchell’s attention seconds after Joe burst into the kitchen of their newly purchased Middlemarch farmhouse. He recognized the glee in his brother. A punch line lurked somewhere, waiting to pounce at him.
Joe tossed the latest issue of the New Zealand Times newspaper and the day’s mail on the kitchen counter. A bunch of keys clattered as they landed inside an empty fruit bowl. “A woman.”
A chuckle burst from Sly. “You’re kidding.”
“Does this face look as if it’s joking?” Joe paused a beat, amusement tilting up the corners of his mouth. “A single woman.”
“Okay, what’s the joke? You might as well tell me everything. She looks like the back end of a bus. She has warts on the end of her nose. She’s fifty-plus with wrinkles.”
“Not from where I was standing. She’s a babe. Curvy. Vivacious.” Joe winked at him. “Shifter.”
“Yeah?”
“Around our age. I liked her.”
Interest stirred in Sly. He and Joe were identical twins. They looked alike with their short, black hair and green eyes. Sexy, according to his sisters-in-law and the women they met. They enjoyed the same things and bore an uncanny ability to determine what the other had on his mind. Their family suspected telepathy, but they didn’t communicate via mind. It was more an instinctive understanding of the way they both saw the world. Joe wasn’t like him. He was him.
Sly picked up the mail and flicked through the bills before tossing them aside. “I thought we’d decided to woo Maggie to our way of thinking.” He snatched up the newspaper and ripped off the outer plastic covering, absently unfolding the pages while he frowned at Joe.
“Did I say anything about commitment? Kiera Pascoe is about fun. She’s not interested in anything serious either.”
“You guys must’ve enjoyed an intense chat.” Sly flicked through the paper, scanning the pages for items of interest.
“Not really, but we hit—”
“What the fuck?” Sly interrupted, staring at a small article in the social section.
Joe stood beside him in seconds. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“This.” Sly slammed his fist on top of the table. “How could she? We had an understanding.”
“Maggie?” Joe shoved his brother aside. “If you move your hand, I might have a hope of reading the bloody article.”
“I’ll read the notice for you. Catherine Scarlet of Dunedin is delighted to announce the engagement of her only daughter Margaret Judith to Nathaniel Henry Charles, eldest son of Henry and Elizabeth Napier of Dunedin. Maggie’s fuckin’ engaged.”
“When? Does the paper say when she’s getting married?”
“No mention of a date.” Sly scowled and started to pace. “We need to talk to her or, better yet, spend a few days with her. Alone.”
It was Joe’s turn to frown. Although he liked Maggie and they’d had some fun times together, he didn’t feel the same way about her as his brother. The lack of connection troubled him. He should tell Sly the truth yet he’d hesitated. There was something about Maggie that put him on guard. It was difficult to explain to himself let alone to his brother.
“We’ll go and visit her.” Sly grabbed the car keys from the fruit bowl. “Tonight.”
“How about a shower before we drive to Dunedin? I’m covered in mud.” His nostrils flared when he inhaled. “And you have the distinct whiff of cow shit.”
Sly sniffed loudly, his nose wrinkling in a feline manner. “Good point. We’ll leave in half an hour.”
Twilight gave way to evening by the time they pulled up outside the two-bedroom house Maggie shared with one of her friends in an expensive suburb of Dunedin. Sly jumped out of their mud-splattered SUV and hurried to the front door while Joe followed at a slower pace.
They hadn’t seen Maggie recently, mainly because they’d been busy with their newly purchased farm. Perhaps catching up with her wouldn’t hurt. Despite Joe’s unspoken qualms, the three of them enjoyed a dynamite time together in bed.
The door opened and Maggie stared out at them. The last time they’d seen her she’d sported unruly brown hair. Now her curly hair lay sleek against her skull. The golden highlights added another layer of sophistication as did the makeup and the black dress skimming her slimmed-down curves.
“Maggie.” Sly took possession of her right hand and kissed the back. “You look gorgeous.”
“Sly. Joe.” She glanced down the footpath before opening the door fully. “Come in. It’s great to see you both. I was ready to shout at my roomie for losing her key again.”
They both stepped inside and waited for Maggie to close the door after them. The instant the door shut, Sly grabbed Maggie for a passionate kiss. Her arms wound around his neck and she pressed her lithe body against him.
Her exotic spicy scent filled Joe’s senses and hauled him in like a trout. Unable to help himself, he tapped Sly on the shoulder. “Can I have a turn?”
Laughing, his face blazing full of happiness, Sly stepped back to let Joe take his place with Maggie. Maggie’s brown eyes glittered with an expression Joe couldn’t read, then her soft lips met his and the fleeting worry faded from his mind. She trembled in his arms and a spear of sheer lust filled him.
They’d worked hard lately, racking up long hours to get their farm into production. These days, a drink out at the local Middlemarch pub with Jonno, Jake and Hari was about their limit.
Aware of the questions they needed to ask before they carried Maggie off to their bed, Joe released her. “I understand you’re engaged.”
Maggie let out a derisive snort, a surprising tone that didn’t tally with her current feminine image. “My mother likes Nathaniel. Come into the kitchen while I get some drinks.”
“She should marry him,” Sly said, following. “We had an understanding.”
“He wore me down.” Maggie reached into the fridge for two beers. She placed them on the counter and grabbed an open bottle of white wine. “The second I wavered, he pushed a ring on my finger.”
“Why didn’t you contact us?” Sly asked.
Joe remained quiet. While Maggie seemed pleased they’d turned up, something didn’t jibe with her behavior. He sank onto a barstool and watched her closely while she fussed with drinks.
“I’m not sure if I can live in Middlemarch.”
Joe inclined his head. At least she admitted her misgivings.
“Don’t tell me you’re frightened of Emily?” Sly made a scoffing noise. “Joe and I have our own place now and six hundred acres. Come and visit. Spend the weekend.”
“I’m meant to go out with friends tomorrow.”
“Blow them off.” Sly radiated calm confidence. “Come on. You want to spend the weekend with us.”
Joe started to object, intending to tell his brother he didn’t agree with his plan. A quick glance at Maggie changed his mind. A brittle edge framed her smile, as if she forced her happiness to the surface. Maybe he needed to stand back and let the truth unfold for Sly. That way, Sly couldn’t pine after something that wasn’t right at a later date.
Strangely disconnected from their meeting, Joe continued to study her closely. The large diamond weighed down her finger in an almost obscene display of disposable income. This Nathaniel possessed big-time money and prestige while he and Sly owned six hundred acres and a mortgage. Sure, Saber would have lent them money if they’d requested a loan. Probably Leo and Felix would’ve chipped in too. They hadn’t approached their brothers because they’d wanted to do everything on their own rather than rely on family connections.
Maggie knew nothing of their feline nature either, and Joe couldn’t envisage telling her—another fact to worry him. While they’d spent some fun times together, Maggie tended to treat them like a convenience. She let them have her body and time when it suited her.
He saw the problems with their relationship. Why couldn’t Sly?
“Right.” Sly straightened from his sprawl against the kitchen counter. “We’re kidnapping you for the weekend and we’re not taking no for an answer.” He grabbed Maggie, lifting until she hung over his shoulder. “Joe, get the door for me.”
Maggie giggled. “Put me down, you brute.”
Sly slapped her on the arse. “Keep still, wench.”
Joe followed them back down the hall and reached past Sly to open the door. “Wait. If we’re gonna take Maggie with us, we need to leave a note.”
“We’ll wait for you in the vehicle,” Sly said.
Frowning, Joe stalked back to the kitchen and grabbed a notepad from next to the telephone. He found a pen nearby and scrawled a quick note, sticking the page under one of the magnets clinging to the fridge. The note was prominent enough for her roommate to notice when she arrived home. He flicked off the light before leaving to join his brother and Maggie.
Sly sat in the passenger seat with Maggie squished in the middle seat. The pair kissed, their hands wandering over each other. Okay, maybe Maggie wasn’t unwilling. Joe climbed behind the wheel and soon they headed in the direction of Middlemarch.
* * * * *
Sly woke to a sensation of warmth along his chest. A relaxed, feminine body curled up next to him, her backside cozying into his groin. The events of the previous night came back to him and satisfaction swelled in his chest.
They’d collected Maggie from Dunedin and returned to Middlemarch.
At present, they spooned on the king-size bed in the master bedroom. He and Joe had their own rooms. They planned to use this bedroom when they invited over company. Last night they’d christened the room in a big way. His hand slid over a curvy hip, savoring the silky skin beneath his callused palm. What a hell of an idea. Kidnapping Maggie and bringing her to their place was a masterstroke.
Someone moved over the far side of the bedroom and he opened his eyes, relaxing when he noticed Joe. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to check the stock.”
“I’ll come with you.” They’d pooled their money for their farm and took an equal share of the chores. But, for once in his life, he wanted to stay with his woman. His cock lengthened at the idea and a vision of him thrusting into Maggie’s warm, clinging channel brought him to a full erection.
“Stay in bed. Feeding the dogs and shifting the stock won’t take me long.”
“You sure? You’ll come back to join us? The fence repairs can wait a couple more days.”
Joe scanned Maggie’s sleeping form. “We can work on the fences tomorrow. I’ll be back in half an hour.”
“I owe you.”
Joe winked at him, the flash of smart-arse in his grin sending a flood of relief through Sly. When it came to Maggie, they didn’t inhabit the same page. Joe seemed happy enough to fuck her but held a part of himself back. Sly didn’t understand Joe’s attitude. Usually they held the same opinions and outlook. They responded the same way in any given situation and instinctively understood how they’d each react. With Maggie, tension crept into the equation. Joe closed off his emotions and Sly couldn’t read him or get a sense of his brother’s true opinion.
Sly couldn’t work out why and the not knowing worried him. The smart thing would be to confront the problem. The cowardly part of him wanted to hide from Joe’s reservations because he liked Maggie. A lot.
“Sly?” The sleepy voice jolted him from his musing.
“Yeah.” He nuzzled her neck, using his tongue to lick across the shell of her ear. She sighed, angling her head to allow easier access.
“You do that well.”
“Yeah?” Sly turned Maggie over onto her back and straddled her. “You have such a pretty mouth. I want to see it stretched around my cock.” He nudged her lips with his erection and grinned at her. When she returned the smile, he pushed his dick inside. The tight warmth bathing his tip wrenched a groan from him.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Suck on me. Take me deeper.”
She went about her task with enthusiasm, working him with her mouth and tongue, licking and sucking until he shuddered uncontrollably. Damn, she was good. Natural talent. A lot to be said for natural talent. She teased his balls with her fingers, stroking the taut skin behind. His sac tightened under her ministrations, and when she pushed an impudent finger into his hole and sucked at the same time, he lost it, coming in hard spurts until he had nothing left to give.
“Sweetheart, that was good.” His breathing had scarcely slowed when Maggie slapped him on the butt, her fingers reaching for his ribs and nipping him. “Ow! What did you pinch me for?”
“You’re grinning like an idiot.”
“You shouldn’t insult me. I might not return the favor.” There was nothing he liked more than giving Maggie pleasure. The first time with her, she’d acted tentatively, her nerves showing even though she wasn’t a virgin. She’d come a long way from the shy girl they’d first flirted with during a Middlemarch singles’ ball. The same night their oldest brother Saber met his wife Emily.
A giggle escaped her. “I’ll behave. I promise. Please don’t punish me.” She wriggled beneath him and batted her eyelashes. “You wouldn’t torture me, would you?” She squirmed again, her writhing sending his mind on a sexual jaunt.
“Keep doing that sexy wiggle and I’m never gonna let you
out of this bed.”
Her fingers caressed his leg and pinched him.
Sly yelped. “You wanna play rough? I can do physical.” Holding her fast, he leaned over and opened the nearest drawer. Giggling, she wriggled and kicked, halfheartedly attempting to escape. He controlled her with ease, grinning at her antics. “You, my wench, are under the control of Captain Sly.”
“Ooh, a pirate,” she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes.
A grunt of satisfaction emerged when his fingers clasped the silk scarves he’d stashed inside the drawer. With easy, competent moves, he lashed both of her hands to the headboard. She didn’t even struggle until he’d tied the final knot. “Now what are you gonna do?”
“Mr. Pirate, you have captured my hands.” A tiny smile played around her swollen lips. “My feet are still free. I could kick your arse.”
“Saucy wench.” Sly rummaged through the drawer again and came up with two more scarves. He let the silk stroke across her cheek. “Oh no you don’t,” he said when she attempted another sneak attack.
Giggling again, Maggie twisted and kicked, trying to avoid Sly’s grasp on her legs. Not as strong as him, she didn’t have a hope of avoiding restraint. “P-please, Mr. P-Pirate.” She was laughing so hard she started stuttering, her merriment making him chuckle.
With determination and greater strength, he soon secured her, laying her out for his pleasure. “Not sassy now are you, wench?”
“What do you intend to do with me now, Mr. Pirate?”
“Hmm.” He scratched his chin, pretending to ponder. “A little sensual torture, I think.”
Maggie moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and sent him a flirty look. “There’s not much I can do to avoid your attentions, Mr. Pirate.” Her lashes fluttered and a delicate flush swept into her cheeks.
Sly took a sharp breath, arousal striking him hard. With her sparkling eyes and new hairstyle, she stole his breath. His gaze drifted toward her neck and the fleshy pad of skin where neck and shoulder met. The marking site for feline shifters. Not for the first time, his feline pushed him, straining for release. Despite the need surging through him, he fought and gained control. Before he exhibited any catlike behavior, he needed to tell Maggie about his special nature.
My Twin Trouble Page 1